Cane Pride

Written by Brother P.
on Tuesday, November 13, 2018.
Posted in Devotional

Today's article is another installment in Brother P.'s column, "Lessons From the Nursing Home."

In the branch of The Church of Jesus Christ where I belong, we have a brother who calls his walking cane “Pride.” I am not exactly sure of his reasoning.

Maybe his pride is lost because he uses the cane now? Maybe it keeps him from using the walker, which could be a source of pride? Maybe “pride goeth before a fall.” (I guess I should have asked him.)

In the nursing home, people who require the extra stability of an assistive device — a cane, walker, or crutches — often don’t want to use the device because it might make them look “old.” (Imagine the 92-year-old who told me that!)

Pride of not wanting to look old or feeble, or disabled, or whatever will make a person not use the extra support provided by the assistive device and risk a fall (and possibly an associated fracture, head injury, or worse).